Page 16 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

FEATURED SAMENA TRENDS

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance

for Digital Development

ITU launches the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital
Development

ITU has launched the Innovation and new framework that will build critical
Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital local enablers to bridge the digital
Developmet. The new Innovation innovation gap and empower Inter-
and Entrepreneurship Alliance for national Telecommunication Union
Digital Development, initiated by the membership to overcome challenges
BDT Director, will build critical local in navigating our changing digital
enablers to lead in the changing environment. The goals of the Alliance
digital environment. It will also enable are aligned with the UN Secretary
BDT to develop new organizational General's Roadmap for Digital Cooper-
and human excellence capabilities, ation, the Global Digital Compact,
deliver new products and services for and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
ITU Membership and strengthen the Development. The Alliance offers a
engagement of the private sector and new approach to bridging the Digital
academia in the critical work of BDT. Innovation Divide and empowering
BDT and ITU-D Membership need new, ITU-D membership to overcome
more resilient, and forward-thinking challenges on their path through digital
approaches to guarantee they can transformation – unlock their digital
safely navigate a digital world that potential, build local capabilities in Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava
is increasingly Volatile, Uncertain, innovation and entrepreneurship, and Director
Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) accelerate their ecosystems’ impact on Telecommunication Development
and achieve outcomes of the Kigali cross-cutting sectors for an inclusive Bureau
Action Plan.This Alliance offers a and sustainable society. The Alliance
will also help strengthen countries’ capabilities to
The Alliance offers a new approach to bridging the integrate ICT innovation into national development
Digital Innovation Divide and empowering ITU-D agendas and build human and institutional capabil-
membership to overcome challenges on their path ities at the country level where it is most relevant
and sustainable. The Alliance will operationalize the
through digital transformation – unlock their digital needed capabilities through three main vehicles:
potential, build local capabilities in innovation and A Digital Transformation Lab, a Network of Accel-
eration Centers, and a Digital Innovation Board.
entrepreneurship, and accelerate their ecosystems’ Through partnerships with governments, private
impact on cross-cutting sectors for an inclusive and sector, United Nations Agencies, and academia, ITU
sustainable society. BDT aims to build local innovation and entrepre-
neurship capabilities.

Innovation and

Entrepreneurship Alliance for

Digital Development

16 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023